The Big M

Exercise and Early Menopause

Do you exercise a lot? As in 8 to 10 hours per week? A new study found that women who exercised this much, or who ate the most polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in fish, reached menopause earlier.

Japanese researchers tracked 3100 women, ages 41 to 55 for over ten years, and found that the exercisers were 17% more likely to reach menopause earlier; those who ate healthy fats were 15% more likely to reach this milestone earlier than those who consumed the least. While it isn’t clear from the news report how much earlier the women reached menopause (several months is my guess), what is clear is that earlier menopause meant the women have less exposure to high estrogen levels, JoAnn Manson, president of the North American Menopause Society told Reuters Health.

Earlier studies show an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis when women reach menopause sooner. Still, “The take home message from this study is that regular physical activity and regular heart-healthy patterns are advisable for reducing the risk for several hormone-related cancers and osteoporosis,” said Manson. “It’s a modest effect, but it matters.”

Aside from the question of how much earlier these women reached menopause, my question is: how do these women find time to exercise 8 to 10 hours a week? Quite honestly, I'm lucky if I exercise that much per month. And I'd like to know if all that exercise and fish-eating decreases their hot flashes. I've read contradictory things about whether there's even a word for hot flash in Japanese. Perhaps when the study is published it will reveal these things. I’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I’m curious, readers. How much do you exercise per week?

About The Author

Christina Boufis

Christina Boufis is an award-winning health and medical writer. When not chasing down the latest medical study, she's busy keeping up with her husband and their 9-year-old son. The upside to midlife transition? Insomnia is a boon for meeting deadlines.

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